Adelphi St Kilian 2017 Cask #1868 & Adelphi Longmorn 1992 Cask #48454

Adelphi St Kilian 2017 Cask #1868

Region: Germany

ABV: 58.0%

Price: £95.00

St. Kilian Distillers is Germany’s largest single malt whisky distillery, located in the village of Rüdenau, Bavaria. Founded in 2012 by Andreas Thümmler (an investment banker), David F. Hynes (an Irish whisky expert from Dublin), and master brewer/distiller Mario Rudolf from Amorbach, the distillery began production in 2016.

This heavily peated release uses barley sourced from Glenesk Maltings in the Eastern Highlands, peated to 135ppm. It was distilled in 2017 and bottled in 2024 after 6 years in a first-fill Madeira cask. A total of 351 bottles were released.

Nose

Something here is reminding us of Lagavulin: There’s seaweed, kelp, cashew nuts, citrus, white wine vinegar, and burnt wood. We wouldn’t have guessed Madeira cask influence on the nose, but it’s an enjoyable experience regardless. With a little time in the glass, stewed apples, sea spray, and fudge begin to emerge. Very easy to nose at 58% ABV.

Palate

The palate opens with a nice upfront hit of meaty smoke, think Walkers bacon crisps and burnt bacon rashers. There’s also honey, toasted sesame seeds, lemon juice, and black peppercorns. The finish is medium in length, and most of those notes carry through. Mouthfeel is good, but it does dry our palates a bit as we sip, which slightly detracts from the dram.

Nose (with water)

Water brings out a hit of honeyed sweetness, which covers the peat somewhat. A bit of the pre-dilution spice has faded, but otherwise it’s fairly similar, perhaps just a touch more coastal in feel.

Palate (with water)

The spice has eased up a little, and the finish now features more pronounced ash. The mouthfeel remains solid, and the finish is unchanged in length. There’s a bit more citrus coming through now, but otherwise, the profile stays fairly similar to its undiluted form.

Conclusion

Very solid for its age. Nothing about this dram screams “young whisky,” and there’s a great balance between the peat and sweetness. We’re intrigued to try more from St. Kilian to see if this was a good cask or a sign of consistent quality across from the distillery.

Score: 7/10

Value

£95 isn’t cheap for a 6-year-old, but considering this is an opportunity to try whisky from a distillery that’s not really available in the UK, especially one with this kind of character, we’re not too upset.

Adelphi Longmorn 1992 Cask #48454

Region: Lowlands

ABV: 49.9%

Price: £619.95

This bottling was distilled in 1992 and matured for 32 years in a refill bourbon hogshead before being bottled in 2024. A total of 222 bottles were released.

Nose

The nose opens with notes of charred wood, a hint of sulphur, sugar cane, icing sugar, and marshmallows. There’s also Turkish delight and a touch of black pepper, with surprisingly little ethanol. Returning to it, we pick up plasticine, mango, passion fruit, papaya, and strawberries. Initially tight, but it opens up nicely with time in the glass, and fortunately that hint of sulphur disappears quickly.

Palate

The palate opens with mango and passion fruit, followed by a wave of more synthetic sweetness: caramel and white sugar. The medium length finish has a touch of black pepper spice, but it’s balanced by the sweetness and a hint of bitterness from dark chocolate and orange peel. The mouthfeel is slightly thin but it’s not enough to be distracting. Returning to it, we also find notes of grapefruit, orange juice, strawberry milkshake, and a touch of skimmed milk.

Nose (with water)

With water, the nose reveals notes of treacle, toffee apple, stroopwafel, and a touch of honey. There’s also a bit of warehouse must, accompanied by chocolate and more pronounced red fruit note reminiscent of Robinsons squash.

Palate (with water)

On the reduced palate, chocolate takes over as the dominant note, running from the mid-palate right through to the finish. Even the spice brings to mind chilli hot chocolate. It’s definitely become very one dimensional. The mouthfeel remains a touch thin, and the finish is still the same length.

Conclusion

Without dilution, this is an easy-drinking Speyside, perhaps a little too easy. We were hoping for more complexity given the age. The mouthfeel was also a slight letdown. That said, while we may sound a bit critical, we did enjoy the dram and would definitely come back for another.

Score: 7/10

Value

While the dram definitely goes down easily, it’s not so gentle on the wallet. As always with Adelphi, you’re paying a premium for the assurance of high quality.

• 10 - Perfection. One in a million
• 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
• 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
• 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
• 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
• 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
• 4 - Below average. Passable.
• 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
• 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
• 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.

If you like what you’ve read then check out our social media (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) to get notifications of when we post a new review or just to chat about whisky with us.